Cooking Guide

3 Best Chicken Cuts For Ramen: What To Consider When Choosing Chicken For Your Ramen

Ramen is a popular Japanese dish that has been around for centuries.

Why trust me?

I'm an experienced food writer and passionate cook. My website, Cookindocs.com, features accessible, informative, and engaging content with quality recipes and articles that are thoroughly researched and enjoyable to read. You can trust my expertise with 8 years of experience in the field. Learn more about me and my work on this website, and check out my featured articles on TastingTable, Mashed, and 5-Minute Crafts. Read more about me HERE.

When you’re in the mood for something warm and delicious, ramen is always a good option.

Besides some popular ingredients like pork or beef, chicken is also one of ideal meats to cook with, because it’s easy to shred apart later on and mix into the noodles.

If you’re looking to cook up some delicious noodles at home, then this article is for you!

We will walk you through 2 tips to choose chicken and 3 best chicken parts for making your mouth-watering ramen bowl at home.

What to Consider when Choosing Chicken for your Ramen

[amazon fields=”B079398XYJ” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B079398XYJ” value=”button”]

Chicken is always considered as the top choice when it comes to cooking ramen.

It takes less than an hour to make this dish which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.

Even if you’re just craving something comforting but don’t want anything too heavy.

Since it’s difficult to know which type of chicken meat will give you the best results when cooking ramen, you might want to have a look at these 2 factors:

Buy a Whole Chicken Instead of the Separated Ones

Buying a whole chicken will be a right option for you if you want to make chicken ramen from scratch because you can use several parts of the chicken, and it will save you a considerable amount of money than buying separated parts.

You can use chicken bones for making the broth, chicken breast and thighs as topping.

Choose Young Chickens over Old Ones

Young chickens are the best choice for cooking ramen because they contain more meat and less fat than their adult counterparts.

This makes them a healthier option, which is important when you’re eating it every day.

What is more, young ones have the best meat for dishes like this because they are young and tender, so their meat will be full of flavor without any strong aftertaste that could come from older birds.

They are also cheaper than their older counterparts, making it easier on your wallet to get that delicious ramen fix!

What the tops 3 chicken parts to use for ramen

Fresh Chicken Breast

[amazon fields=”B01GOBLT5I” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B01GOBLT5I” value=”button”]

If you want an authentic Japanese experience, go for whole or sliced breasts – but be careful! You may have seen them called “chicken breast”, which can mean anything from boneless skinless chicken breast (which is a good option) to mechanically separated chicken (not really recommended).

White meat like breasts is a healthier option, but they can dry out if being cooked for too long.

You can consider buying a whole fresh chicken, use the breast for making ramen and save the other parts for other dishes.

Fresh Chicken Thighs

[amazon fields=”B094BZRBBY” value=”thumb” image=”1″ image_size=”large” image_align=”center”]

[amazon fields=”B094BZRBBY” value=”button”]

Some people like using dark meat (like chicken thighs) for their recipes because it adds more flavor than white meat does.

Although it is a bit fattier, because it makes my ramen so much heartier and filling since it has a more robust flavor.

It packs a little more punch and can stand up to cooking in broth without becoming tough or dry.

Leftover Chicken Meat

If you have some leftover chicken in your fridge though, why not transform it into something delicious?

Cooking with leftovers saves money and time!

The best part?

It’s as simple as throwing everything together in your pot and letting it simmer until done!

The Bottom Line

The best chicken for ramen is a debatable topic, and it might be a pain in the butt for most of the housewives.

Instead of using one same type of meat, why don’t you try out new types of chicken meat to see what works best for your taste buds!

Emily W.

Emily Wong is an Asian-American food writer the founder of Cookindocs.com. With nearly 8 years of experience, she has a passion for making cooking accessible to everyone and sharing her personal experiences with food. Emily's vision for Cookindocs.com is to create a community of food lovers who are passionate about cooking, eating, and sharing their experiences with others. Read my story
Back to top button